Teacher performance, Afghanistan, S.D. Unified schools and more

In response to “No ‘badge of honor’ for backing status quo” (Editorial, Jan. 9): There has been much discussion about whether or not to include standardized testing into teachers’ evaluations. Much of the reluctance comes from teachers’ fears that if their particular classes have students who speak English as a second language or students who have learning difficulties, comparisons with teachers who don’t would be unfair.

I am a retired teacher and principal. There is a fairly simple way to address this at least in the elementary grades. When I was a principal, I took all the standardized test scores and figured out each individual teacher’s API (Academic Performance Index) score. One can look at how much progress the students made compared to the year before. Of course it can’t be done in the first year of testing (now second grade) but after that, it works quite well. How much did the students improve (or not improve) compared their scores the year before? It becomes quite obvious after a few years that some teachers’ scores often do not improve while other teachers almost always show growth.

No one argues that testing should be the sole criteria for evaluations, but it can be done fairly and should be included. There are also well defined standards in place which principals should be using to evaluate teachers. I found, however, the best way to judge a teachers competence is for the principal to be in the classrooms every day … just observing. I tried to look for positive things going on in each class and leave notes for the teacher to encourage him of her. I could also mention maybe one area that might need a little improvement. Rather than wait for an end of the year or every other year evaluation, these ongoing interactions give the principal much more credibility when having to make difficult decisions about teachers. – Stewart Thornton, San Marcos

Michelle Rhee and Alan Bersin had no management training to run a large public school system and it showed. They looked for simplistic solutions and erroneously blamed teachers and their union. Their autocratic blame game was uninformed and harmful. Their castigation of teachers was not based on educational research. Their plans were not true education reform. Yes, evaluating teachers will always be an important part of education. However, this is not educational reform.

True education reform must be based on quality, replicated educational research. We know preschool makes a difference, but this would mean that we must figure out how to fund preschool for every child of poverty. That would be a great crusade for your newspaper. Research has also proven that career academies dramatically increase the high school graduation rate and provide every graduate with an employable skill. This would be another good crusade to undertake.

However, before serious education reform can begin, school funding must be stabilized and class size must be substantially reduced. Education reform is complex and solutions require multiple levels of effort by highly trained educational administrators.
– James C. Wilson, Ed.D., Scripps Ranch

In response to “U.S. may leave no Afghanistan force” (Jan. 9): Why is the president shoving us out of Afghanistan, in essence negating 11 years of civil-military effort to defeat the Taliban’s murderous hold on the country that sprouted terrorism against the West in general? The negotiating tactics over status of forces – legal jurisdiction over American and allied troops –is merely an excuse to cover an earlier pullout. American military leaders believe 10,000 troops will be necessary to contain a resurgent Taliban; the administration thinks 2,500 is about right. Many Americans think zero is the right number.

What is the president’s strategy in Afghanistan? What’s the foreign policy for the Middle East? Asia, Europe, Latin America? The past four years has been a continuation of a Bush foreign policy. What will be left after we leave Afghanistan? What’s left over in Benghazi other than a shelf spot next to Fast and Furious?

The only “policy” facts are higher taxes and sequestration, which will doom any “Asia Pivot” strategy.
– G.R. Worthington, Chula Vista

Two months later, Jan. 8, San Diego Unified works to restore administrative cuts made in the past few years because of the fiscal crisis. Two vacant positions and three human resources director positions will be filled. Then on Jan. 9, the San Diego School Board adds five management jobs to its human resources department. The school year remains reduced by five days; and nothing is said about classroom size or more teachers.

“How many times am I going to fall for that line?” said the voter, sadly shaking his head. “I never seem to learn.”
– Marilyn Prine, San Diego

In response to “Filner unveils mayoral staff” (Local, Jan. 8): As I read in the U-T, the mayor has appointed Donna Frye to be his new director of open government. Sounds good! I am certainly for open government.

But let’s look a little deeper. What would we expect a person in this position to do? I guess that such person would be expected to spend 40 to 50 hours per week checking up on all of the people in City Hall to determine if there is anything of importance being kept from the public.

Is this really something that requires a director with a salary of $100,000 and a total cost likely to be in the range of $170,000 per year. Frankly, it does not sound like a position that would inspire an ambitious and talented person looking for major challenge.

I see this as just one of many examples that depicts the current era where government seeks to “sound righteous” and “look good.” The establishment of open government is not a complex concept requiring “rocket science.” I suggest to the mayor that he can achieve the goal of open government without the appointment of Ms. Frye, but rather based solely on the manner in which he conducts himself. He is the chief executive of our city and if he sets the right tone through his actions, the rest of the people at City Hall will follow.

We have a very precarious budget and a mountain of potholes to fill. Let’s challenge the mayor to step up to the task of leading by example.
– Charles Bohle, La Jolla

The local news Jan. 8 dramatically demonstrates two branches of local government going in very different directions.

On the positive side, Mayor Filner releases the names and salaries of his top 24 people to deal with the issues of the city of San Diego. And, we learn that salary is 6 percent greater than their actual salary will be, because the staff will take pay cuts to match other city employees.

On the negative side, San Diego Unified wants to add five senior personnel staff at salaries much higher than many members of Mayor Filner’s staff. Money needs to be spent in the schools and classrooms of the districts for teachers, aides, nurses, custodians and others who directly contribute to children’s’ education and well-being. The same dollars spent on central office staff would translate into eight to 10 new teachers or nurses or about 30 aides and custodians. Of course, this is the same administration that wouldn’t give their chief financial officer a raise. And instead the board needed to hire a headhunter to find a replacement at a salary that was greater than the chief financial officer who left.

The U-T’s continuing coverage of the school bonds without early call provisions has been excellent. But, perhaps, it is time, given both the allegations in the South Bay and the plans of San Diego Unified, to focus some additional attention of more routine actions of boards of education that don’t appear to maximize the amount of money spent at the school site and in the classrooms.
– Alan C. Burye Sr., La Mesa

In response to “A president in need of an intervention” (Editorial, Jan. 8), implying Obama should stop out-of-control spending that resulted in a 50 percent increase in inflation-adjusted dollars since 2001 (without Medicare and Medicaid): Amazing to blame him for this increase since he has been responsible for only three of the 11 years since 2001. How about the first eight years of Bush budgets, with two unfunded wars and tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Not to mention the collapse of our financial institutions and a world economy in the gutter.

We need an intervention and reassurance; we also need Republican leadership to step up to working with long-term solutions that mitigate long-range problems, not reward special interests. I also believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus.
– James Southerland, Point Loma

Your deep concern for our president’s need for a fiscal policy intervention had me wondering where was your same concern for George W. Bush, who inherited a $236 billion surplus and left America with a $459 billion deficit. Could you direct us to that editorial?
– Jack Flynn, La Mesa

So John Boehner spilled the beans on his conversations with the president during the fiscal cliff negotiations. Doesn’t that say more about the speaker than it does the president?

Political negotiations are about give and take and discussions about ideas and philosophies as well as numbers. Going public with what may have been said in those negotiations when another round of difficult choices have to be discussed in the upcoming debt ceiling talks sounds more like posturing and dirt shoveling than a constructive attempt to resolve the nation’s problems. The speaker’s comments show a lack of seriousness and affects his credibility as someone who will negotiate in good faith.
– Rob Cohen, San Diego

Thank you for your concern. However, “the family” of the United States did hold an intervention and billions of dollars were spent, much was discussed and the family took a democratic vote and decided said president will remain the head of “the family” for the next four years.

Thank you again for your concern and to use another popular analogy, physician heal thyself.
– Daniel Logan, Chula Vista

In “Issa says he’ll persist in role as watchdog” (Dec. 27), Darrell Issa, our representative, is listed as the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Let us give him and other members of Congress a few suggestions.

Eliminate all subsidies – yes, including milk. All products and businesses stand on their own.

Stop propping up the post office. It can cut delivery to three days a week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday for half of the city and Tuesday-thursday-Saturday the remainder.

Sell off unused /obsolete buildings as started previously. Employees resign or go on half-time.

Close the Department of Education. We have a state Department of Education that takes care of its own.

Do we need both Fannie and Freddie? Cut their funding in half.

Did the president and Congress recently get a raise? Cut their pay and staff in half.

I have many other suggestions but will leave others to submit theirs.
– Ruth Sewell, San Diego

Now that the state has taken away the pot of gold for San Diego politicians to play with [redevelopment], it is probably not a good time to suggest some self-help ideas as we are not weaned from sucking on the public teat. However, it may be time to start getting serious about pooling the collective will and investing what meager resources which might remain into some projects that have gone begging because we were too busy spending the state giveaway on high-flying white elephants.

Two simple, really good ideas come to mind: a second entrance to San Diego Bay and development of the neglected southern shore of South Bay. I understand that there are several entities that believe or know that they have a commanding presence on both these enterprises, but the fact that none of these entities have recognized or energized ANY industry to address either issue in any way is a clear testimonial that none of these entities exercise any command or presence whatsoever.

We are at the point where if anything is to get done then the people must organize, assume command prepare and execute a plan that will produce a second entrance and develop the southern shore of the South Bay.
– Charles Sanders, San Diego

Even though I’ve been a Sierra Club member for over 30 years, I am adamantly opposed to those miserable seals which have taken over the Children’s Pool.

What would Mrs. Ellen Scripps say? She had the jetty built specifically to provide a safe place for young children to swim and play. My parents took me and my two sisters to the Children’s Pool in the ’40s and ’50s. How wonderful it was. Mrs. Scripps did not have the jetty built to provide a place for seals to breed, foul the water and prevent children and adults from enjoying the beautiful cove which she created.

Where else is there a safe and secure place for tiny children to enjoy the water in safe, peaceful, beautiful surroundings? La Jolla Shores? Boomer Beach? I don’t think so. This is the last bastion. We must take a stand to safeguard the integrity of the Children’s Pool (which the seal lovers call “Casa Beach,” pretending that the “Children’s” portion of the name is irrelevant.)

The seals are a noisy nuisance. More importantly, they are also a great snack for sharks which at some point are going to gobble up either a seal or a swimmer brave enough to enter the polluted water.
– Myrna Wosk, La Jolla